I hope you’re reading this outside, pint in hand (or lime & soda, if you’re not drinking), scrolling through your phone as you wait for your friends or colleagues – maybe even both – to return. If you are able to, then slap that play button on the playlist below to give a listen to today’s New Music Friday.
Foals – Life Is Yours
You can’t always get what you want, but if you try, sometime you’ll find you get what you need. Other times – without doing anything at all – you’ll get both. Foals’ new record, Life Is Yours, released today, is exactly that. The most danceable album from the Oxfordshire band, now a trio, it’s the good kick of euphoria we all could do with.
Razorlight – Call Me Junior
Razorlight are back. ‘Call Me Junior’ is the first release since the reunion of the bands line-up of Johnny Borrell, Andy Burrows, Björn Ågren, and Carl Dalemo, following a 10-year hiatus. It’s a track that kickstarts a summer which sees them play a handful of festivals.
Sun’s Signature – Apples
Summer isn’t all about tans and exhilaration, though. Sometimes you want a bit of quiet in the shade, reading a book beneath a tree – an apple tree, even. ‘Apples’ is an exquisite, rather hallucinatory track from Sun’s Signature – a new project from Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser and percussionist Damon Reece, formerly of Massive Attack and, Spiritualized and Echo & the Bunnymen. The duo’s full, self-titled EP is out tomorrow.
DC Gore – Sisyphus
“I’m quite preoccupied with the idea of failure,” DC Gore told us this week. If his spate of recent records is anything to go by, he has very little to be worried about. ‘Sisyphus’ is his latest; named, of course, after the character from Greek mythology doomed to roll a boulder up a hill until it rolled down again. As Albert Camus says, though, let’s imagine him doing it happy – listening to a bit of DC Gore perhaps, which is bound to bring a smile to your face.
Art Moore – A Different Life
Another lovely little tune. This time from three-piece band Art Moore. Most press release-y stuff can be fairly vacuous but I thought this describes the track rather interestingly: “‘A Different Life’ uses a strobing synth pulse to shift the weight of the song dramatically from a heartbroken lament to something that bristles with the endless possibility that comes part-and-parcel with a breakup.” Art Moore’s self-titled LP will be released via ANTI- on 5 August.
Tirzah, Lorraine James – Hips (Lorraine James Remix)
You might think a remix of a pre-released track is ever-so-slightly cheating to qualify for ‘New Music Friday’. But such effort and originality has gone into Highgrade, a full reworking of Tirzah’s Colourgrade, which dropped last year, that it easily warrants it. This track has been remixed by Lorraine James, who since her 2021. LP Reflection has been working under the ambient-minded alias, Whatever The Weather. This remix returns to the more juddery Lorraine James of old, however.
Spangled – Good Life Better
A terrific track here with a touching story behind it. ‘Good Life Better’ – which bears resemblance to Oasis at times – was the favourite track of John Johnson, the late father of Spangled’s frontman, Ben Johnson. John doubled-up as the band’s roadie and had driven the band to the Isle of Wight festival last year. Tragically, that was where John unexpectedly died in his sleep. This track is an incredibly emotional track, therefore, and comes ahead of Spangled’s return to the Isle of Wight festival, nine months since the tragedy.
Hamish Hawk – Angel Numbers
Edinburgh’s Hamish Hawk is a bit of a throwback as a frontman, with a rich tone to his vocals. The titles for previous releases, such as ‘The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973’ and ‘This, Whatever It Is, Needs Improvement’ tells you all you need to know about his joy for lyricism. ‘Angel Numbers’ is their latest and has been described by BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley as “a great, great record”. He’s not wrong. (He rarely is).
Nova Twins – A Dark Place For Somewhere Beautiful
‘A Dark Place For Somewhere Beautiful’ – believe it or not – is one of the more downtempo tracks on Nova Twins’ latest album, which follows 2020’s Who Are The Girls?; after its energetic intro and choruses that is. I thoroughly recommend the album in its entirety, though, which sees vocalist and guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South kick-on with redefining rock music.
Vacant Weekend – All Over
Always finish with a groove. This one comes in the sonic form Cumbria-based trio Vacant Weekend’s debut single, ‘All Over’. It’s rhythmic, sunny and youthful. “Why you still here?”, lead singer Alex Beston rounds the track off with. I could ask you the very same, reader. Be gone. And have a ravishing weekend.
